Tirion Fordring
Tirion Fordring was a paladin of the Silver Hand and is believed to be the founder of the Brotherhood of the Light - supposedly, the "new order" of holy warriors he wished to create. General Information *Level: 61 Elite *Location: Eastern Plaguelands *Type: Humanoid (Human) Background Tirion was a paladin of the Silver Hand and Lord of Mardenholde Keep in Hearthglen who fought valiantly against the orcs during the Second War, before being stripped of his title and exiled for defending an orc, Eitrigg. Following the recent death of his son Taelan Fordring in a player-quest, Tirion has committed himself to refounding the order of the Silver Hand. The Eitrigg Incident Tirion lived a comfortable life, well liked by his subjects, and loved by his wife Karanda and son Taelan. One day, he encountered an old orc hermit living in an abandoned tower. The two immediately battled, and they traded blows until a piece of the ruined tower collapsed on Tirion, knocking him senseless. He awoke in his bed days later, and discovered that he had been found, badly beaten, tied to his saddle, and had been healed by his ambitious second, Barthilas. Realizing that the orc had saved him, Tirion set out and retraced his steps back to the tower. The orc, Eitrigg, told Tirion that before the coming to Azeroth, the orcs had been a noble society rooted in shamanism. After the war, he had left the corrupt Horde. Tirion, seeing great honour in Eitrigg, promised to keep his existence a secret, returning to his people and informing them that the orc had been dealt with and was not a threat. Barthilas was not so confident, and called Saiden Dathrohan to come and settle the matter himself. Dathrohan picked up the trail and led a group of hunters into the woods, where they found Eitrigg. During the orc's capture, Tirion fought against Dathrohan's men, prompting Barthilas to gleefully note that his actions were treasonous. Tirion was brought to Stratholme to stand trial. Despite Karandra's pleas to forget his honour and tell the jury what they wanted to hear, Tirion, hoping to be an example to his son, told the court exactly what had happened. Ultimately, it was decided that since Tirion had assaulted Alliance soldiers, he could no longer be a member of the Silver Hand, and was doomed to exile. Uther the Lightbringer performed a ceremony to strip Tirion of his powers and sent him home to gather some supplies. Desperate to prevent Eitrigg from being executed for war crimes, Tirion rode back to Hearthglen, where he attacked Eitrigg's guards. Surprised, they still managed to subdue him, until a group of orcs stormed into the city. Tirion used the distraction to free Eitrigg and flee the city. When they were in the wilds, Tirion saw that Eitrigg was near death, and did the only thing he could do, call upon the powers of the Light to heal the orc who had saved him. To his surprise, he still had the powers blessed by the Light, and Eitrigg was saved. They abruptly found themselves surrounded by orcs, and a new Warchief, Thrall approached Eitrigg and invited him back into the Horde, which had since reverted back to its shamanistic roots once more. Eitrigg was thrilled to accept. Tirion remained in Lordaeron, to watch his son Taelan be inducted into the Silver Hand. His son later became the lord of Mardenholde. Tirion's wife told his son that Tirion had died, and even took him to a false grave at the Undercroft, where Taelan burried the toy warhammer his father had given him in memory of his father. Exile and Return Tirion lived out his exile, even during the Third War, in a small farmstead, in the northwest of what became the Eastern Plaguelands, on the shores of the Thondoril River with his trusty horse, Mirador. He could also often be found roaming on the road to Hearthglen. He was dismayed to find that his son, Taelan, joined the Scarlet Crusade, and even became the highlord of that order. By enlisting an adventurer to collect mementos of his son's past, he was able to convince his son to leave the evil Crusade, only to see him killed in the attempt. Spurred by his son's death, Tirion resolved to reform the original Silver Hand as a force of good in the world. Memorable Quotes * "You are assuming that there are more orcs out there, Barthilas. I was there, and I saw none. I will not sound the call to arms before we've confirmed the facts. This is not the time to start jumping at shadows. We must remain calm and vigilant." * Taelan: "Are you going to fight the green men, Poppa?" :Tirion: "I don't know yet, son. I just don't know." * "I will remain committed to the Alliance until my dying day. Of that, have no doubt. But I cannot disavow the oath I took. To do so would be to betray everything I am and everything we, as honorable men, hold dear." * "May your soul burn in anguish, Isillien! Light give me strength to battle this fiend. Face me coward. Face the faith and strength that you once embodied." * "Too long have I sat idle, gripped in this haze... this malaise, lamenting what could have been... what should have been. Your death will not have been in vain, Taelan. A new Order is born on this day.. an Order which will dedicate itself to extinguishing the evil that plagues this world. An evil that cannot hide behind politics and pleasantries. This I promise... This I vow..." Quests * * * * ** *** **** ***** (ends quest) ****** ******* (not involved in) ******** (ends quest) See Also *Of Blood and Honor Fordring, Tirion Fordring, Tirion Fordring, Tirion Fordring, Tirion Fordring, Tirion